Photo Source; Babushahi Bureau
Five Punjabi youth trapped via 'donkey route' rescued from Colombia after MP Satnam Sandhu’s intervention
MEA takes Cognizance of MP Satnam Sandhu’s Urgent Call for Rescue of Youth Held Captive in Colombia
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, May 19, 2025: Five Punjabi youth who were allegedly held captive at Capurgana, Colombia while their passage to USA through ‘Dunki Route’ have successfully been rescued with the intervention of Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, Satnam Singh Sandhu.
Notably, after five Punjabi youth (Doaba & Majha region) in their twenties (except one in thirties) who had been lured by an agent with better employment opportunities overseas were trying to move to USA through ‘illegal route’ when a local gang in Colombia trapped them and demanded ransom from their parents to release them.
Taking due cognizance of the matter after being intimated about the incident through an acquaintance, MP Satnam Sandhu wrote a letter to the Minister of External Affairs, S Jaishankar and appealed him to intervene in the matter and rescue the youth stranded in Capurgana, Colombia. Sandhu also reached out to the officials at Indian embassy in Colombia.
These five Punjabi youths including Lovedeep Singh from Amritsar, Gurpreet Singh from Jalandhar, Karandeep Singh from Amritsar, Gurnam Singh from Jalandhar and Ramandeep Singh from Amritsar had left from their native places around four months ago and never returned home thereafter.
After being rescued, in a video clip, these five youths can be seen thanking MP Satnam Singh Sandhu for their release and said that ‘we are safe, have received our passports and returning to our country soon’.These youth in an earlier video had urged MP Satnam Sandhu to intervene in the matter and rescue them from their illegal captors.
MP Satnam Sandhu after receiving the information swung into action immediately and wrote to Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar seeking his intervention in rescuing these stranded youth.
Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, Satnam Singh Sandhu said, “After being informed by an acquaintance that five Punjabi youth have been held captive in Colombia. I wrote a letter to the Minister of External Affairs and urged him to intervene in the matter and rescue these youth. In a video clip shared by the acquaintance, these youth can be seen describing the harassment they have been receiving at the hands of their captors and requested that they be released from there. The illegal captors of these youth were demanding USD 20,000 from them to release them. After their release with the efforts of Indian government, in another video clip, these youth have said that they are safe, have received their passports and returning to India soon.”
In his letter addressed to MEA, Sandhu had stated that the families of these individuals are in deep anguish and have expressed grave concern regarding their well-being and safety.
Given the vulnerability of the situation and the involvement of international trafficking networks, I earnestly urge the Ministry of External Affairs to take immediate action in coordination with the Indian Mission in Colombia.
Sandhu further added that it is requested that the matter be taken up with utmost priority and necessary diplomatic and consular measures be initiated to locate, assist and rescue these individuals at the earliest.
Expressing concern about the illegal migration Sandhu said, “This is a serious concern which needs to be addressed with utmost priority by the government. The government needs to put in place a permanent and robust mechanism by ensuring exemplary punishment to deter such incidents. The perpetrators behind such incidents are barely afraid of committing such crimes as there is not enough deterrence in place and as a result gullible people who try to move abroad in search of better employment prospects, or a better life often fall prey to them.”